 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Hmm. Not sure that Bourg St Maurice would be too much fun to stooge around in for a week, it's not exactly oozing charm, but I don't know it well - others do and could advise. In France, you could have a look at St Gervais. Interesting town, quite a lot going on, easy access to skiing though probably not much in the way of snow at resort level, much of the time. I suspect Austria might provide more choice of bases suitable for your OH.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
If you have a car then every resort will do except Zermatt which is a car free zone. You could stay in the Italian side of Cervinia but the OH needs to be able to ski the blue runs at the top of the glacier to go to Zermatt and return back to Cervinia. This main link is by a drag lift so runs suitable for beginners and summer skiing. Thereafter the gondolas, trains and cable cars can get you most places in Zermatt. This arrangement is affordable too as you avoid the expensive accommodation at the Swiss side. The downside is the link is liable to close in strong wind.
St Anton is very white. Lech, Zurs, Ischgl and St Moritz are famous of abundance of 4 & 5 star hotels. St Moritz is probably the best of the lot as it is a well equipped tourist venue for all seasons. Aspen (USA) and Ampezzo Cortina (Italy) are also famous expensive skiing resorts that can be enjoyed at ordinary price if you choose a hotel at their periphery and drive to ski every day, say 10 or 15 miles radius. Whistle (Canada) is probably the largest in term of size within which you can stay for weeks.
Bourg St Maurice is a cross road (instead of being a tourist attraction) for access to Italy via the Petit St Bernard Pass which is closed in winter. Part of the mountain pass is of course the link between resort La Rosiere (French) and La Thurile (Italy). BSM is at the mid point of the Tarentaise Valley with over 1600km piste within a radius of 18 miles covering Tignes at one end and 3V at the other end. This is definitively the largest skiing playground you can take your OH to enjoy but you do need a car. Without the car you are zero mile from Les Arc which is linked to La Plagnes, Ste Foy is about 3 miles away while the lowest chairlift station to La Rosiere is about 5 miles. The size of BSM can be gauged by having 2 supermarkets and one McDonald. It does have a few nice traditional French restaurants and the a trains terminal..
In term of village charm the French is in a different league to the Austrian, Italian and Swiss. Many would places like St Gervais and Megeve are pretty but this is because these are places close to Switzerland border (shared scenery) and are paradise when comparing the ugly concrete apartment blocks dominating places like Flaine and Avoiaz. The rest of the Alpine resorts outside France is actually very scenic and rustic because large commercial scale skiing apartments blocks are simply disallowed.
There is nothing holding one back from taking the OH to enjoy all these places. I have done it with mine and to many other places and countries too. Places like Japan (before this year earthquake) and Colorado could have different perspective if you and you OH sampling them together for the first time.
Skiing can be a different kind of fun if you and your OH can share it together. Of course there are fantastic places to see and ski but there could be memorable instances that we will never forget. We once misread the Saalbach piste map, caught the last gondola after it had been closed and had to come down from the top of the mountain in total darkness. My OH thought she would have been killed in a foggy day in L'Alps D'Huez had she ski down a slope (couldn't tell between a groomed run or off piste but have to decide to turn left or right) instead of waiting for me to come back for her after we got separated in a snow storm with no visibility after 2 metres. We also got separated by the crowd once in Meribel and another time in Les Menuire but managed to meet up again within an hour. Nowadays we always carry mobile phone, PRM and torch whenever skiing and never ski France during the mid term breaks. If the visibility is not to our liking we would abandon skiing and choose a nearby city to enjoy ourself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
| Nadenoodlee wrote: |
| I think Serre Che was a good call |
me too - nice thermal baths in monetier which would be a nice afternoon if she isn't going to ski all day
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
She could use/hire a Snowbike, then she can go everywhere you do, and doesn't need to worry about her knees at all 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| dan100 wrote: |
| Nadenoodlee wrote: |
| I think Serre Che was a good call |
me too - nice thermal baths in monetier which would be a nice afternoon if she isn't going to ski all day |
Another on agreeing on that one. Regular bus service along the valley from Monetier to Briancon and back. Things to do in Briancon, plenty of places to meet up for lunch, or to bail out and go back to accommodation without needing to ski there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
andyph, Would love to learn to ski off piste which would be good. I'm also liking your thinking of doing it right this time then I can hopefully ski twice a year lol!!! Got a lot of sorting out to do before we go anyway. I'm sure she will change her mind several more times!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
is never more than a snowball's throw away. 
